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Pediatric emergency room gets well deserved facelift

by Chris West
Public Relations
To call the pediatric emergency room, module one, “old” has become a misnomer. With the addition of a new mural painted on the back wall of the receiving area, the office’s look is nothing short of new.

New mural has given life to module one.

Adding to the assorted toys, books and other playthings, the office known as “old module one” is alive with vibrant colors and a jungle motif mural that heightens the look and feel for parents bringing their children in for emergency services treatment.

“We just noticed one day that the wall needed some fixing up,” said Nancy Phillips, a staff nurse in the pediatric ER. “So we collaborated with Child Life to get something done.”

The result was that Phillip’s daughter, Brennan, would do the work as a public service to the office and an addition to her portfolio. The mural began as free-hand sketches from childrens books, and the result is three to six layers of acrylic paint of jungle scenery.

In addition to the vast green landscape, Brennan included a jungle cat peering from the brush, a colorful toucan sharing a tree branch with a large coiled snake and even small ladybugs crawling around on leaves. “Cleverly, Brennan also included the names of the staff of old module one and a few of the one west staff hidden within the mural,” Phillips said.

Brennan Phillips

“Brennan took up art as a hobby and it has guided her to graphic design, which she now studies. Eventually, she plans to transfer to a four-year school,” Phillips said.

Brennan worked off and on from April 1999 until January of this year on the mural, usually coming in after hours to have more space to work and while patients wouldn’t be in the waiting room.

This isn’t the first bit of artistic work she has done on campus. “Brennan has done two photo-essays at the trauma center at one west,” Phillips said. “She got pictures of the staff at work and was pleased with the 11 picture outcome and grade she received.”

“I love to paint,” Brennan said. “But I want to transfer to either USC or the College of Charleston and study photography, I love being behind the camera more.”